Homemade pot pies are simple, satisfying
The image of a steaming pot pie is one of the best wintertime has to offer, right up there with a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows, a fire crackling behind the hearth, or curling up with a good book and one's favorite wool afghan.
But did you ever stop and wonder where that boxed pot pie in the freezer actually came from? Sure, the packaging is reassuring, and the brand may be familiar, but do you know the month when it was manufactured? Do you know if the factory where it was made is located anywhere near you? It's another mystery in the freezer.
Every day now, our world gets a little smaller, a little faster. In our increasingly-globalized lives, many Americans are outsourcing more and more meal preparation to mass-produced items. Technology and standardization are the heroes. And who prepared the food? Most likely, no one did. Most likely, it was "assembled" by a machine, which stamps-out identical copies around the clock.
The frozen chicken pot pie has become so ingrained that we might forget that anyone still makes homemade chicken pot pies. But they do. And you can, too, using either of the fabulous recipes offered by Fleischmann's Yeast and Argo Corn Starch.
We don't live in the past, when generally people had more time to cook and bake. In the 21st century, home cooking must be convenient to be relevant. So both recipes emphasize practicality, as well as great homemade flavor.
Lemon chicken and asparagus pot pie and hearty chicken pot pie are deep dish pies" whose crusts are on the top. Both are savory chicken stews with velvety gravies, baked under bread "lids." The crusts trap steam, and in these "bread pots" the chicken is tenderized, and the vegetable flavors blend. Then the crusts brown. They're both deeply-satisfying, hearty creations . . . downright comforting, as fragrant steam rises when they're pulled from the hot oven. A bite of bread, a bite of stew, and a gulp of cold milk.
The lemon chicken and asparagus pie tastes sensational, is very easy to make, and even easier to serve. Divided into six ramekins — or miniature soufflé dishes — before baking, juicy chicken chunks mix with refreshing tarragon, and the tang of asparagus spears. Mushroom slices and chopped green onion add pizzazz to the silky lemon corn starch gravy. The rich, buttery crust is merely a sheet of refrigerated crescent roll dough from the supermarket, a concession to the need for practicality. Draped over each ramekin, the crescent roll dough browns beautifully and becomes flaky and crispy at the edges.
Hearty chicken pot pie is a recipe for a complete meal, and a tasty balance of nourishing carbohydrates and proteins.
The delicious, rustic chicken stew is made with firm, juicy chunks of meat and a colorful medley of diced fresh or frozen vegetables (corn, carrots, peas, lima and green beans and onion) in a suspense of creamy gravy-sauce, under 10 to 12 tender, golden yeast-risen butter-washed angel biscuits.
Prepared in, and served from, a shallow casserole dish, the pies' "crusts" are actually a bed of 10 to 12 homemade angel biscuits, making portion-control a snap. Some will save this recipe just for the simple angel biscuit recipe within; the biscuits are sweet and rich and brown beautifully.
The secret to the velvety chicken-stock gravy-sauce is corn starch. Corn starch produces a superior fresh taste and texture to those offered by canned condensed soups.
The hearty chicken pot pie recipe has all the perks of a classic scratch recipe: the inviting aromas of cooked onions, chicken and fresh bread; the total control the home-cook has over the ingredients, including sodium and fats; and the avoidance of preservatives. Scratch cooking is often more economical, especially in recipes with larger yields like this one. Best of all, scratch cooking is an excellent way to express both personal creativity and one's love for family and friends. In this scratch recipe, the prep time and proof time overlap, reducing the start-to-finish time.
Serve this traditional dish with fork and a spoon. Eager eaters will start with their forks, for chunks of chicken and biscuit, but the bottom-of-the-bowl clanking you'll hear will be the spoon, as they go for every possible drop of the rich, silky gravy-sauce.
1 tablespoon butter or margarine2 cups sliced button, shiitake or other mushrooms¼ cup finely chopped green onion1 teaspoon tarragon½ teaspoon fine grind black pepper½ teaspoon salt2 tablespoons lemon juice1½ cups milk2 tablespoons corn starch2 cups cubed, cooked chicken2 cups frozen chopped asparagus, thawed1 package (8 ounces) crescent roll doughPreheat oven to 375 degrees.Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, tarragon, pepper and salt. Cook and stir frequently for 5 minutes, or until softened.Stir in lemon juice. Whisk the milk with the cornstarch. Gradually stir into the mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring until thickened. Stir in the chicken and asparagus and remove the heat.Spray six 1-cup ramekins with cooking spray. Transfer the filling mixture to prepared ramekins. Unroll the crescent dough and seal the perforations using fingertips. Cut into six squares.Gently stretch each square of dough to cover each ramekin, allowing the edges to overhang. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until top is golden and filling is warmed through.Recipe Tip: Flavors like tarragon, asparagus and mushroom tend mainly to please adult palates. To make this recipe a home-run with kids, substitute mixed vegetables, green beans, peas, carrots or broccoli in place of the asparagus. Try using parsley flakes in place of tarragon.Makes 6 servings.
<B>Biscuits</B>¼ cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)1 envelope active dry yeast2½ cups flour2 tablespoons sugar½ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon salt½ cup shortening¾ cup buttermilk<B>Filling</B>3 tablespoons butter, divided1 medium onion, diced2 cups cooked, diced chicken1 package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables1 cup chicken broth1 teaspoon garlic salt½ teaspoon medium grind black pepper1 cup cold milk3 tablespoons corn starchTo make biscuits, combine warm water and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add yeast mixture to dry ingredients; stir in buttermilk.Place dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead 10 to 15 times; form into a ball. Pat dough to ¾-inch thickness. Cut 10 to 12 biscuits using a 2-inch biscuit cutter (or use a straight sided drinking glass); place on ungreased baking sheet. Cover; let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about 30 minutes). Make filling while dough is rising.For the filling, preheat oven to 400 degrees.Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes, until onion is soft. Stir in chicken, vegetables, broth, garlic salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Combine milk and corn starch in a measuring cup or small bowl. Stir into chicken mixture. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil and boil 1 minute.Spoon chicken mixture into a 2 or 3-quart casserole. Top with the risen biscuits. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and drizzle over biscuits. Place casserole on baking sheet (to catch any boil-overs in the oven).Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until filling is bubbly and biscuits are lightly browned.
